The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-08-28
TEE BEST DAM IN AMERICA.
One of Arisenn's Great Storage Reservoirs
and the Water II VIII Held.

One OF Arisenn's Great Storage Reservoirs
and the Water Il VIII Held.
Eron ts Artsora JevrndtStner
Tho most important problem to be solved
In Arizona IL the wator question. The fertility
OF Its SOIL the richness Of Its grazing lands, the
wealth OF its mines are unquestioned, but with
ali their natural resources comes the question
Of water supply for their development.
In some portions OF tho Territory the
verified from their natural channels for the
irrigation Of adjacent lands, with the most
satisfactory results. Yavapal county Is unior-
exceptions, II has no streams Of large, proper
tions which will furnish water supply either
15 cSnsGsa5ss oao or Ths
has naturally attracted tho attention Of those
has provided many reservoirs loading, into
steep rocky canons, and has apparently In
St!ed human . snterpriss to ntiilze them ,h. Ss
but aneaaally divided during ,hs' year;
ceivod the idea of accepting natures invita-
ENTERPRISE Of this Kind. The ,Hqssayampa., Ct
utaries, Just where 1t enters into very narrow
and rocky canon. seemed to Ills practiced mind
10 use Snd wRne Ss
mediately above 1t would furnish a natural
low II are not only rich placer grounds, but rich
grazing lands In these he saw an opp2r-
voir. Ho had AN extended and careful survey
made Of the country Tor miles, and the enter
By nea e
organization OF company with sufficient capt-
tai to carry the enterprise through to a suc-
after the usual delays Incident upon the
organization OF any great enterprise. In June.
on da @ the
the ranch Of. Judge Abner Wade. Immediately
Work has been pushed on the enterprise. and
Dot. Of this year. OF. probably an earlier date.
will witness its completion.
tied the enterprise the early par, Of last week:
aud. Notwithstanding all that had been told
Messing It ior the ,frst tile. As previously
stated. the dam is located in narrow. gorge
OF Hassayampa, Creek, whose walls OF solid
eral hundred feet. At it's base the dam Ia only
eighty feet IN length across the sa4 iSn nhs
81 make 100 w es
feet, As resistance to the imnenss pres res,
both sldoe until at the top II viii lie only ten
feet i Is as sod and 3,
build. A wall. built Of rocks weighing from
two tons down, u feet IN thickness. is built on
vening space is filled In with loose rocks thor
oughly tamped down. On the upper face.
against which the water rests, a SKIN Of tim;
the structure is framework Of ,imbe,s
Inches Iaare: To these gre fitted and spiked
ns soa over Of T. sa sk eoTePns
OF waterproof tisphaltum-covered elt, and on
tor Of this again Is amother covering Of TIM
Tightly az the hull OF a ship. The outer COW
erinR of the skin of the dam. after being caiked.
is then painted with heavy coat of dark
waterproof paint.
The rock WORK OF this immense structure is
under the supervision Of Cen. George .. Magic.
took charge oil the work in February last. The
nrst thing no did on taxing the contract WAS
to discard the slow process q shaking In"
dam. 4. tramway built on atrestework twenty rty
feet high was hsn run the eefte o, the
yard of rock each, are loaded IN tho
Susrries on rs the hillside and lot down
an empty one mp. so that within Il few Soc
onds from, the time IL il loaded in the
i Is run "nTyST tho dgm and dqmnsn
the hugs rocks in tnei- places In the structure.
As soon rs the rocks reach level with the
built on tor OF il and work OF iilllng that iovol
commenced. As an Illustration OF the rapidity
with Wilch Ten. maggie pushes WORK on the
structure. 1t became necessary on Saturday
night to erect new treste work, the distance
then across the dam being 800 feet. At o'clock
the other morning the work WAS completed.
track laid on 1t. and cars were crossing IT.
An electric-!ight plant. composed of appn-
ratus for generating the electricity. with six
lamps OF 1000 candle power each. distributed
at convenient points in the Guarries and on the
dam. furnish light for force Of workmen at
night. SO that work never ceases, and, meta
phorically. speaking, tho enterprise never
sleeps. When completed and full the dam will
contain in round numbers $4,000, 900 gal
Ions Of water. 1t will extend up the Hassay-
ampa a distance of two miles. up Arastra
Creek one and one-fourth miles. Mnnehaha
three-fourths of a mile. and up Blind Indian
Creek about one-third OF a mile. Its greatest
width will be- at the mouth Of Arastra Creek.
about one-haf mile. Within the area Of the
water lines will be contained. including
islands; about two square miles, while the
The weight Of the dam itself will be between
$4,000 and 100000 TONS and will cost about
xZj0O00. From the above II will be seen that
this enterprise Is one Of the greatest mnRni-
tude In he Territory. and when in successful
operation will be great In results to the Terri
tory. 1t contains at present about forty acres,
or l20.Q00.0g0 gallons Of water, being in places
thirty feet deep. Gen. Nagel. in describing it to
the Journal Miner man, Proudly boosted that
1T Is the best dam In America" and there are
h